Vote For Tech Cocktail’s Four Panels In The 2013 SXSW Panel Picker

Frank Gruber Aug 13, 2012 Tweet

It’s August, but it is not too early to be talking about SXSW 2013. Each year, the organizers let the public have a say in the programming – 30 percent of the community vote factors into which sessions are scheduled during the conference portion of festivities. That can only mean one thing – yes my friends, it’s time for the 2013 SXSW Panel Picker! I am excited to share that this year our Tech Cocktail team has four panels that are in the 2013 SXSW Panel Picker. Show your support for Tech Cocktail by casting your vote for these sessions. Let’s take a closer look at the panels.

Not All Startup Accelerators Are Created Equal

With new startup accelerator programs popping up daily around the country, offering mentorship, funding and an opportunity to build a business, it has raised the question: Are all accelerator programs created equal?

Tech Cocktail keeps tabs on them via our partnership with the Kellogg School of Management – for the past two years, we have provided rankings on the top programs in the US.  There are also programs that are not technically accelerator programs but still offer value to entrepreneurs. This panel discussion will explore the variety of accelerator program models, including the classic summer-class program model, industry-specific programs, and gender-focused and contest-style programs, in an effort to explain the key differences within the vast landscape of startup accelerator options available to entrepreneurs. The panel will include:

• Frank Gruber Tech Cocktail
• Andy White Vegas Tech Fund
• Nicole Glaros TechStars
• Amy Millman Springboard Enterprises

-> Vote for the Startup Accelerator panel

360 Relationships: Mentors, Mentees, and VCs

Mentoring is something Jen Consalvo has been doing for years, with over twelve years of experience at AOL, where she worked with many startups, to her role as COO at Tech Cocktail, where she frequently meets with startups around the country.  It is an important aspect of professional growth, and in many cases, is how people learn to start and run a business. Consalvo will moderate this group in a lively discussion about mentorship from three perspectives: a Mentor (working at a large company), a Mentee (currently starting up in an accelerator), and an Angel Investor/Pro Mentor (a former hired-gun, turnaround CEO). This panel includes:

• Jen Consalvo Tech Cocktail
• Elizabeth Terrell Booz Allen Hamilton
• Glen Hellman Driven Forward
• Dan Berger Social Tables

Asian Entrepreneurs Struggle with Fear of Failure

During her first six months with Tech Cocktail, Kira Newman was traveling and writing about entrepreneurship in Asia and uncovered some fascinating trends. One that stood out was the struggle with fear of failure. To many young Asian entrepreneurs, starting a company is an act of rebellion. It means defying the lessons of parents, teachers, and culture, who say: “Be proper. Find a stable job. Don’t take risks.” It means – in many cases – feeling uncertainty, shame, and fear of failure. This panel discusses where fear of failure comes from, how it affects Asian startups today, and what it means for the future of Asian innovation. It will include stories from Newman’s recent 6-month trip to 7 Asian countries, during which time she interviewed over 100 entrepreneurs and investors.

• Kira Newman Tech Cocktail
• Gwendolyn Regina Tan SGEntrepreneurs
• Daniel CerVentus Malaysia Entrepreneurs

Monetizing Adventure

During a 12 month span prior to joining Tech Cocktail full-time, Zach Davis went from an over-worked computer nerd, to a long distance backpacker (he thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail, a 2,181 mile path extending from Georgia to Maine) and a successful self-published author (he is the author of Appalachian Trials, a psychological guide to thru-hiking the Appalachian Trial – endorsed by Tim Ferriss). This panel is about the principles behind not only building, but fostering a community of supporters around one very simple idea: living the dream, and getting paid to do so.

• Zach Davis Tech Cocktail and Good Badger Publishing
• Jen Friel Talk Nerdy To Me Lover LLC
• Nicole Antoinette Shatterboxx

-> Vote for the Monetizing Adventure panel

We would love to have you join us at these four fabulous discussions down in Austin, Texas at SXSW in March 2013. Please help us get there by voting here, here, here and here today (you can vote for as many sessions as you’d like). Thank you for your support!